Providing strategies before, during, and after college to help students and families optimize higher education affordability.

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Services Offered

College Affordability Solutions offers its services free of charge. However, reimbursement for travel expenses will be requested if travel outside the greater Austin, Texas, area is required to provide these services.

Confidential, Personal Assistance

College Finance Plan Consultation: Receive help in assessing the usefulness of various strategies for putting your child in the best possible financial position to go to college, control expenses and minimize borrowing while in college, and manage educational debt after college.

FAFSA Completion Assistance:Get answers about how to answer questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), when to complete it, and when to submit it. Additional assistance can be provided if your FAFSA subsequently requires corrections, updates, or verification.

College Affordability Analysis:Receive and assessmentof each of your soon-to-be-college-student’s financial aid offers from different schools. Offers are appraised to project their impact on your student’s net cost and the gap your family will have to cover after its self-help aid (loans, work-study). If your student has zeroed in on a particular major and post-college occupation, the assessment can also include a projected return on investment.

Debt Management Counseling: Based on your personal circumstances and life plans, learn which repayment plans will work best for you. Evaluate options for getting rid of your debt faster or reducing you monthly payment amounts. Find out about deferment and forbearance options open to you, and if any of your student debt may be forgiven.

Group Seminars and Workshops

Building Your College Finance Plan: Learn about the wide array of strategies and tools you and your student can employ before, during, and after college to help keep postsecondary education affordable. You’ll also get information on how and when you should initiate these strategies and access these tools.

Financial Aid 101: Grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study – who provides them, what can your student do with them and, importantly, how and when should your student apply for them?

Deciphering the FAFSA: Why submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)? How are your FAFSA data used? What information do you need to complete it? What are the most common FAFSA mistakes and how can you avoid them? Get answers to these and other questions about this essential gateway to financial aid.

Coaching Your Student to Better Money Management: One way to reduce college costs is to you to help your student make smart choices about spending and debt. This session features cost-saving tips about purchases in the typical student’s “market basket.” It also suggests ways to coach your student about money management before, during, and after college.

Manage Your College Debt Before It Manages You!: Find out how to get information about your loans. Learn what happens to them after commencement. Explore your repayment options. Get tips on how to reduce your monthly payments and how to reduce your debt faster. Discover conditions under which your payments may be temporarily suspended. Get acquainted with where to search for information on college debt forgiveness programs.

Policy Analysis

College Affordability Solutions brings 40 years of higher education and student finance experience to postsecondary finance issues on which your agency, community organization, foundation, or school is focusing. If you need a consultant to help conceptualize, design, or evaluate your college affordability initiatives, contact College Affordability Solutions.

To learn more about these services, please contact College Affordability Solutions at (512) 366-5354 or collegeafford@gmail.com.